A virtual reality based fire training simulator with smoke hazard assessment capacity

•A VR fire training simulator with smoke hazard assessment capacity is proposed.•Realistic and accurate smoke environment is created for virtual training.•Integrated smoke hazard in the path for evacuation or rescue is accurately assessed.•A subway station and a primary school are investigated for virtual fire training.•The simulator helps trainee identify the safest path and minimize smoke hazards.

Smoke is a leading cause of death in fire. To minimize the potential harm from the smoke hazards in the course of a fire, a rational virtual reality (VR)-based fire training simulator taking full account of the various aspects of smoke hazards has been developed and is described herein. In this simulator, a visualization technique based on volume rendering and fire dynamics data has been especially designed to create a realistic and accurate smoke environment for the purposes of effective virtual training, which allows the trainees to experience a realistic and yet non-threatening fire scenario. In addition, an integrated assessment model of smoke hazards is also established in order to assess the safety of different paths for evacuation or rescue in virtual training, which allows the trainees to learn to identify the safest path. Two case studies of a subway station and a primary school demonstrated a high level of accuracy and smooth interactive performance of the proposed simulator, which is thus shown to be valuable for the training of both people who might become trapped in fire and firefighters engaged in learning the proper rescue procedures.